Early airline check in/baggage check when leaving

[budmanbiker]

We just came home from our 10th anniversary trip to "The World". Had a great trip overall. We flew with NW and had our resort (All Star Music) print our boarding passes the morning of our 6:20pm flight. The only problem was trying to check our bags with the airline from ASMu. The cast member said that the only way to do this was to call the phone # listed on a little card he handed me and give them a credit card #. I called this number for about a half an hour before finally getting through to check the bag. Is there any way around this hassle aside from bringing a laptop? There was another guy trying to do the same thing with no luck the last time I saw him, and he claimed to have tried for quite some time the previous day with no luck.

 

[rflorek]

From what I read on the DIS, when you get your ME packet the day before departure, it should have the info regarding prepayment of your baggage fees for your airline. You have to prepay and provide the RAC with the number they give you in order to use the luggage transfer service. I guess your only other option would be to bring your bags to the airport on the ME bus yourself (or with your rental car) and pay the fees when you check-in at MCO.

 

[Alesia]

From what I read on the DIS, when you get your ME packet the day before departure, it should have the info regarding prepayment of your baggage fees for your airline. You have to prepay and provide the RAC with the number they give you in order to use the luggage transfer service. I guess your only other option would be to bring your bags to the airport on the ME bus yourself (or with your rental car) and pay the fees when you check-in at MCO.

Yes and yes

 

[klynn]

We just came home from our 10th anniversary trip to "The World". Had a great trip overall. We flew with NW and had our resort (All Star Music) print our boarding passes the morning of our 6:20pm flight. The only problem was trying to check our bags with the airline from ASMu. The cast member said that the only way to do this was to call the phone # listed on a little card he handed me and give them a credit card #. I called this number for about a half an hour before finally getting through to check the bag. Is there any way around this hassle aside from bringing a laptop? There was another guy trying to do the same thing with no luck the last time I saw him, and he claimed to have tried for quite some time the previous day with no luck.

You don't need a laptop to pre-pay your luggage at RAC. The day before your departure you get your DME departure info. In that letter they give you the phone number to call to pre-pay for your luggage. I just left the BCV yesterday. I pre-paid my luggage before I went to RAC by calling the number provided the day before. I wrote down the confirmation number and handed to the RAC person during check in.

 

[Keebles]

OP, your post reminded me of the whole pre-pay situation. I don't use ME and this is my story from my baggage pre-pay:

Last time I was at the world was right when the bag pay thing got started (last Oct). I was staying at WL and because of NWA computer probs, they couldn't pre-print my boarding pass at the RAC, but I went ahead and pre-paid for my bag over the phone. They took all my info, gave me a confirmation number, and I was all set, or so I thought. When I got to the airport, they couldn't verify the confirmation number. I called Bags Inc back and they re-verified that the number was correct and to have the airline try again. So, I got back in line, only to be told, once again, there was no pre-pay for my bag. I ended up paying for it at the airport. The whole process took almost an hour (to top it off they didn't give me all of my boarding pass - so after standing in line at security for a while, I still had to go back and re-stand in line for a third time at the check-in desk). Needless to say, I was beyond a nervous wreck when I finally got to the gate.

The first thing I did when I got home was check my credit card and there were two separate charges for my bag. I always meant to call about it, but never got around to it and then I eventually forgot. Needless to say, I am more than a little bit nervous about doing it this time since I still don't know what went wrong (which is my fault because I never called).

Is Bags, Inc still the only option, or can you do it another way now?

 

[goofy4tink]

I had baggage fees to pay, for the first time, last month. I called the BAGS number, got right through, and I was done in about 5 mins. I'm sure there are going to be instances where it will take longer, but I just wanted those reading to realize that it is 'usually' a quick transaction.
Also....your DME packet does give you guidelines, as does the DME pickup notification left in your room the day before departure. I did call the day before we left, just to be sure my bags were paid for and all set to go.